Travels with my Mother -down the river

Mom and I woke the second day to rainy and damp camp. It was mostly damp we had put everything up either in the bear box or underneath the canopy. While mom was getting ready for the day I wanted to get breakfast and coffee ready for us.

I found out that I don’t know how to use a camp stove so we cooked over the fire and coffee wasn’t great which is why I hope when I tell you other parts of this day that you’ll completely understand and won’t take me as a coffee addict. So mom had bought this camping coffee mechanism that I have no idea how to use. Its old school any ways mom ended up picking out the wrong type of coffee grounds to go with it. We got instant rather than regular grounds….it was a disappointment.

After breakfast and cleanup we then headed towards Asheville with the kayak and all. The night before at Sierra I had picked out where we would drop in at and then get out at. We ended up going up a little father than I had originally planned. Mostly for a better place to get in at. We ended up parking and getting in at Hominy Creek River Park. The goal was to then get out near New Belgium Brewery to hang out for a bit and grab a beer and maybe something small to eat. New Belgium ended up being closed due to Covid restrictions so only open on weekends.

We got in and mom telling me at some point that I needed to relax. Mom was chill sitting in the back with her earbuds in listening to…honestly I’m not sure. She told me at one point but it kinda sounded like something that could be heavy metal which I would be slightly surprised by….but you know mom is trying new things these days. I entertained myself by getting out the GoPro and taking videos while we floated.

Eventually we ended up coming to a spot where we could get out and it was the perfect spot since I new there was a climbing gym that had a bathroom and they also had iced coffees. I mean I could have certainly floated down the rest of the river and the day for that matter without getting an iced coffee but well there’s not really a good excuse except for the fact of the said above……

Something to consider if wanting to float down the river in Asheville you won’t have much of that nature quiet. You go under many bridges and most of the busy roads follow along the river. So you will hear all of the sounds of the city while also being kinda hidden behind trees. For the most part it will be good you will see the ducks also floating along and the birds flying above and you’ll also might see some fish as well you’ll also just hear the trucks and the trains and all of the other city sounds as well.

Towards the end of the float as we were coming up towards New Belgium there was a father and young daughter mostly the young girl with a zest for life yelling after us. We ended up rowing over to them and them wanting to give us a message to give to their group that they had drifted away from…Mostly that they were cool and well the rest were not. We unfortunately were not heading on and could not take their message for them but here it is.

Once we got out I ordered an Uber to come pick me up to then drop me off at the car and then go back for mom and the kayak. This was mostly the reason for keeping the float within town, getting back to the car.

Once we got everything into the car and quickly as there was another storm that seemed to be brewing we then ended up going to the Visitor Center to get some maps. We might have also done the touristy thing and gotten a couple shirts and fridge magnets. We then went to French Broad Chocolates for all the good things…plus it was moms Birthday so cake and also maybe more coffee for me. 🙂

We had our birthday cake and ice cream while I figured out the rest of the plan for the day. Mom likes to think that I was planning ways to kill her but truthfully I haven’t saved up that much money yet for her funeral so for the near future she is safe.

Once we finished and mom stopped oogling the firemen in the big firetruck that was passing we got back on the road. We decided to do the south part of the Blue Ridge Parkway heading back towards out campground. We stopped at all of the overlooks. At one point we did stop to get out and hike but I don’t remember which trail we decided to go on. We ended up not going very far as yet again that storm was acting like it was going to just blast down on us. We also decided that mom needed hiking polls and that its best to let the wild mushrooms be or else we’d have trees chasing after us.

We got back to the car in time for the next rainfall turning down 276 and only stopping along there to show mom Looking Glass Falls. By the time that I realized we were coming up on Sliding Rock we had already past it and well Sliding Rock is one to get out and play in the river on a hot and sunny day.